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Aircraft: 23237 

 "STYMIE" with blown tire on take off 7/17/1943 with Lt Kiessling Crew. The registration number is already on the tail along with R code on fuselage but not on Tail Photo courtesy of Dan Shay 

Stymie with crews from 418th Bomb Squadron. Lt E. A. Kiessling far right kneeling.

NAMES: Stymie



 PILOTS: LT  JOHN F STEPHENS
MACR: 01030 SQUADRONS: 418 LD-R

NOTES

Assigned to original cadre, Crew 29 --- Stymie

HISTORY

1943-04-05   Accepted into inventory
1943-04-05  Cheyenne
1943-05-30  Dow
1943-05-31  Assigned to UK
1943-06-09  Thorpe Abbotts
1943-06-28  RES (Lt. Kiessling Crew)
1943-07-17   FTO - flat tire on takeoff (Lt. Kiessling Crew)
1943-07-28   REO - could not locate formation (Lt. Kiessling Cr
1943-08-24   REM - Also REM 02 Sep 43
1943-10-08  REM - #1 propeller leaking oil (Lt. Stephens Crew)
1943-10-10  FTR - Flak Fighters - Aalten, The Netherlands
1943-10-10  FTR - Flak Fighters - Aalten, The Netherlands

Pilot Info

Crew: 10 POW

Related Info: : STEPHENS, JOHN F

Comments

    Known Mission List courtesy of Ray Bowden/USAAF Nose Art Research Project 

Date	         Pilot	      Target                               Notes

29 Apr 1943	E A Kiessling /	 	Original a/c assigned to 100BG at Kearney, Nebraska
31 May 1943	�	 	Assigned overseas to 8AF in England
9 Jun 1943	�	 	To Thorpe Abbotts
22 Jun 1943	�	Decoy mission	Diversionary mission - no sortie credit
25 Jun 1943	J F Stephens /	Bremen	�
26 Jun 1943	E A Kiessling /	Le Mans	�
28 Jun 1943	E A Kiessling / J F Stephens	St Nazaire	returned early - spare a/c (non sortie)
29 Jun 1943	E A Kiessling / J F Stephens	Le Mans	�
4 Jul 1943	Maj J C Egan / E A Kiessling	La Pallice	�
10 Jul 1943	E A Kiessling /	Le Bourget (abortive)	�
14 Jul 1943	E A Kiessling /	Le Bourget	�
17 Jul 1943	E A Kiessling /	Hamburg (recalled)	Failed to take off due to flat tyre
25 Jul 1943	J F Stephens /	Warnemunde & Kiel	�
28 Jul 1943	E A Kiessling / J F Stephens	Oschersleben	Returned early (non sortie) -- could not locate formation
29 Jul 1943	E A Kiessling /	Warnemunde	�
30 Jul 1943	E A Kiessling / J F Stephens	Kassel	�
12 Aug 1943	E A Kiessling / J F Stephens	Bonn & Target of Opport.	�
17 Aug 1943	J D Brady /	Regensburg	Cat AC damage
24 Aug 1943	�	Bordeaux	Returned early - oil leak
6 Sep 1943	J F Stephens /	Stuttgart	�
7 Sep 1943	J F Stephens /	Watten V-weapon site	Camera a/c
9 Sep 1943	�	Beauvais - Tille	�
15 Sep 1943	�	Paris (Renault plant)	Severe damage - out of action for several days
8 Oct 1943	J F Stephens /	Bremen	Returned early (non sortie) -- oil leak, #1 engine
9 Oct 1943	J F Stephens /	Marienburg	�
10 Oct 1943	J F Stephens / H L Smith	Munster	MISSING -- Hit by flak, flew over airfield and shot down

PHOTOS:

 LD-R 42-3237 STYMIE on the ground in North Africa on August 17, 1943. 

 "STYMIE" 23237 LD-R, 418th in North Africa - 17 Aug 1943 (100th Photo Archives) 

 Another view of "STYMIE" on the ground with onlookers. This photo was dated October 10,1943. Photo courtesy of Dan Shay 

 A third view of "STYMIE" with someone posed on the tail section. Photo courtesy of Dan Shay 

 "STYMIE" on the ground in a farm field near Borken, Germany. Photo courtesy of Dan Shay 

 "STYMIE" on the ground in West Germany taken in  October 1943. Aircraft flown by the John F. Stephens crew. Detailed Information Photo courtesy of Dan Shay 

Stymie in the Air

Stymie in the Hangar with Nose Art. Photo courtesy of Jim Potts Daughter Eileen Potts Smith

Stymie with Lt John Brady Crew Aug 17, 1943.  Courtesy of Jim Blakely, Forkner Photo collection and Matt Mabe .

STYMIE LD-R -John Brady pilot. Photo taken from "WOLFF PACK" by the pilot Bob Wolff - Regensberg 17 Aug 1943 (100th Photo Archives) 

 Lead Squadron flying over the Alps on 17 Aug 43. Command Pilot Jack Kidd (Group Operations Officer) & Ev Blakely in Just-a-Snappin A/C 23393 LD-Y, John D. Brady & John L. Hoerr in Stymie A/C 23237 LD-R, Command Pilot John Egan (418th Squadron Command Officer) and Charles Cruikshank in Mugwump A/C 230066 LD-U, and Bob Wolff & Charles Stuart in Wolff Pack A/C 230061 LD-Q. (Photo courtesy of Big Joe Armanini)  

 Lead Squadron Regensberg 17 Aug 1943. The damaged B-17 in the center was flown by Robert Wolff. In September 1943 the Germans were to fish Bob and his crew out of the English Channel. Wolff's water landing was one of the most successful of the war. There were no injuries, either in the landing or egress. Detailed Information (100th Photo Archives) Bob Wolff's damaged B-17 over Italy 17 Aug 1943. Detailed information (100th Photo Archives) 

Never before seen Photos from Regensburg Mission. Courtesy of Jim Blakely, Forkner Photo collection and Matt Mabe . Yeah, that is Just a Snappin (Blakely Crew), Stymie (Brady Crew), and Black Jack (Fienup Crew)  heading into Africa August 17, 1943.